Sharing In His Glory

This scene comes between two encounters that Jesus has with two individuals — Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. On the surface these individuals look very different, one is a highly moral religious leader and the other a woman of loose morals, yet each of them gains their sense of worth from their actions. Nicodemus feels good about himself because of his high moral standards and religious deeds, whilst the Samaritan woman feels shame because of her moral failings (so much shame that she collects her water at the hottest part of the day when no one else is around).

Looking Ahead

Life can sometimes feel like you’re living in the middle of a novel. In the middle of the story you don’t really understand the plot, the characters’ motivations, or how the story will end. Only in the final chapter do all the details make sense. I have a friend who reads the last chapter of a book first. Once she knows the ending she can sit back, relax, and enjoy the book no matter how crazy the plot becomes. God invites us to read the final chapter of the bible, so we can see how it all works out in the end.

Define Your Relationships

I was a naive sixteen year old when I first started as a dance teacher. Amongst the various types of people I taught there was one group that regularly posed difficulties regarding expectations and boundaries: the unhappy middle-aged married woman.

Out of an intense love for God we delight to do His will

If our main goal is being seen by others to do the right thing, or believing that God is impressed by our righteous actions, then we can become content with the appearance of righteousness rather than addressing the deeper motives within our heart.

Think About Such Things [Part One]

The way I think about someone affects the way I treat them. If I admire a person I am more likely to listen to them, respect them and follow them. If I see a person […]

Driven or Called? (Part One)

A few weeks ago I was reading a book about King Saul. One of the chapters listed eight events within Saul’s life that revealed he was highly driven. The whole chapter felt more like a rebuke, rather than encouragement – time for therapy!

What to take with you and what to leave behind (Part One)

God didn’t save us in order that we might sit and wait for our eternal destination – God has a plan for us. You may or may not know what this plan is. You might be […]

Keeping One Another Sharp

In the commission’s final report concerning the nuclear disaster, Mr. Kurokawa blamed the nuclear power plant’s failure on ‘a reluctance to question authority’ and the Japanese devotion to ‘sticking with a programme’. The report went on to […]

Standing Firm (Part One)

Over the past few months I have been looking into the importance of ‘standing firm’ as a Christian (Ephesians 6:10-20). Before we can stand firm we must be sure of what it is we are standing for. Unfortunately, there are people who do not know what they believe in or what their life stands for. It seems to me that often these people are short of strong convictions and not particularly committed to anything. I am so thankful for the things that God has helped to convince me of – because I know that it is these convictions which have helped to establish continuity throughout my life!

Easter – So what?!

When people we know leave us or die, we only possess memories of them. However, Jesus is much more than just a memory – he died, rose again and lives today. We might know some details […]